Uploaded August 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
From the biggest of sharks, to the smallest of fish, join us as we explore 11 of the friendliest sea creatures in the world!
11. Whale Shark
You might be surprised at first that a shark is on this list. But here's why, it's because despite what Hollywood tells you, not all sharks are "evil" or hunt humans on a regular basis (or come out of tornadoes but I would hope that one was obvious...). Some sharks only attack when provoked, and some don't even attack at all. Which brings us to the Whale Shark.
10. The Nurse Shark
Ok, I know. If you look up the Nurse Shark, you'll see that it's No.4 on the list of creatures most known to attack humans. That's because quite simply...the humans deserve it. In its natural habitat, the Nurse Shark is truly one of the most docile sharks around. 9. Fish
What? This is a fair entry! I know there's a lot of fish in the sea (pun intended!) but I'm talking about the hundreds and thousands of species of little fish that are in the oceans that can't hurt people at all. The ones that fill the aquariums at your local pet store, those fish!
8. Jellyfish
Ok, I know what you're thinking, "You convinced us about sharks, but Jellyfish sting! I've watched Finding Nemo!" And yeah, Jellyfish can be jerks at times and are infamous for having the natural defense of stingers that can be used to ward off predators or other creatures that have gotten too close to them. Which definitely includes humans.
That being said, there are species of Jellyfish that don't have stingers. . If you don't believe me, look up a place called Jellyfish Lake. It's in the Rock Islands of Palau.
7. Manta Rays
If we're being honest here, Mantas are a really cool sea creature. Not the least of which is because of their size (which can get up to 20+ feet in length at their max), shape, and their rather indifferent nature when it comes to humans approaching them. They're totally chill about the prospect of people randomly showing up in their waters.
Unlike their Sting Ray brethren, Manta Rays don't have a means of actually hurting people short of ramming into them. ...which they could do if they wanted so don't tempt them!
There are tourist destinations in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Spain, the Fiji Islands, Thailand, Indonesia, Hawaii, Western Australia and the Maldives where you can go into the water and just watch the Manta Rays swim around and enjoy life. It's one of many popular tourist destinations involving sea creatures.
6. Sea Turtles
When you think about a turtle, you're likely thinking of the kind you'd have as a pet. Calm, docile (unless it's a Snapper) and...well...slow. In the oceans of the world, the Sea Turtle doesn't necessarily have the slow part, but they do have a calm and relaxing attitude towards life. And they're so calm that they'll let humans actually grab onto them via their shells underwater and then actually go swimming with them.
5. Manatees
Manatees are very much the "gentle giants" of the oceans. They are well-loved for their rather calm demeanor. And it doesn't hurt that they're slow-moving and can't exactly run away from humans per se/ It's incredibly easy to go up to one, pet it, and then swim with it for a while should you have the urge. .
4. Sea Otters
We've had a lot of creatures on this list that may not be deemed as "cute" by some people, well that ends now! Because the Sea Otters have arrived on the list! And honestly, we should be grateful that they like us at all given that we've hunted them for centuries.
3. Orca Whales
Yep, you knew that Shamu would be on this list. And sure enough, they're close to the top! Which is interesting because at one point in time, Orcas were known strictly as "Killer Whales", and nothing else. This was because of their incredible hunting abilities (which are really impressive, especially when they hunt as a group) and there were "sightings" of Orcas killing humans. But there have been no fatalities in open waters via Orcas.
2. Humpback Whales
While the Orcas may be one of the most known whale species in the world, there's no doubt in many people's minds that the friendliest whale in the oceans today is the Humpback Whale. Which has its own interesting history with humans as they were almost hunted to extinction. For real. At one point in time, 90% of the population had been killed by humans until a ban came around to stop the madness. They're still protected to this day despite their numbers recovering.
1. Dolphins
I mean...was there anything else that honestly could've been put on the top of this list? Think about it. They're dolphins! They're what a lot of people go to see at aquariums, they love to do tricks, show off, and they'll even let people get up close and kiss them (should you be into that...). What's friendlier than that?
Add to all of that, there's their natural ability to protect life, specifically, protect human life. Plus...there was this film named Flipper...
From the biggest of sharks, to the smallest of fish, join us as we explore 11 of the friendliest sea creatures in the world!
11. Whale Shark
You might be surprised at first that a shark is on this list. But here's why, it's because despite what Hollywood tells you, not all sharks are "evil" or hunt humans on a regular basis (or come out of tornadoes but I would hope that one was obvious...). Some sharks only attack when provoked, and some don't even attack at all. Which brings us to the Whale Shark.
10. The Nurse Shark
Ok, I know. If you look up the Nurse Shark, you'll see that it's No.4 on the list of creatures most known to attack humans. That's because quite simply...the humans deserve it. In its natural habitat, the Nurse Shark is truly one of the most docile sharks around. 9. Fish
What? This is a fair entry! I know there's a lot of fish in the sea (pun intended!) but I'm talking about the hundreds and thousands of species of little fish that are in the oceans that can't hurt people at all. The ones that fill the aquariums at your local pet store, those fish!
8. Jellyfish
Ok, I know what you're thinking, "You convinced us about sharks, but Jellyfish sting! I've watched Finding Nemo!" And yeah, Jellyfish can be jerks at times and are infamous for having the natural defense of stingers that can be used to ward off predators or other creatures that have gotten too close to them. Which definitely includes humans.
That being said, there are species of Jellyfish that don't have stingers. . If you don't believe me, look up a place called Jellyfish Lake. It's in the Rock Islands of Palau.
7. Manta Rays
If we're being honest here, Mantas are a really cool sea creature. Not the least of which is because of their size (which can get up to 20+ feet in length at their max), shape, and their rather indifferent nature when it comes to humans approaching them. They're totally chill about the prospect of people randomly showing up in their waters.
Unlike their Sting Ray brethren, Manta Rays don't have a means of actually hurting people short of ramming into them. ...which they could do if they wanted so don't tempt them!
There are tourist destinations in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Spain, the Fiji Islands, Thailand, Indonesia, Hawaii, Western Australia and the Maldives where you can go into the water and just watch the Manta Rays swim around and enjoy life. It's one of many popular tourist destinations involving sea creatures.
6. Sea Turtles
When you think about a turtle, you're likely thinking of the kind you'd have as a pet. Calm, docile (unless it's a Snapper) and...well...slow. In the oceans of the world, the Sea Turtle doesn't necessarily have the slow part, but they do have a calm and relaxing attitude towards life. And they're so calm that they'll let humans actually grab onto them via their shells underwater and then actually go swimming with them.
5. Manatees
Manatees are very much the "gentle giants" of the oceans. They are well-loved for their rather calm demeanor. And it doesn't hurt that they're slow-moving and can't exactly run away from humans per se/ It's incredibly easy to go up to one, pet it, and then swim with it for a while should you have the urge. .
4. Sea Otters
We've had a lot of creatures on this list that may not be deemed as "cute" by some people, well that ends now! Because the Sea Otters have arrived on the list! And honestly, we should be grateful that they like us at all given that we've hunted them for centuries.
3. Orca Whales
Yep, you knew that Shamu would be on this list. And sure enough, they're close to the top! Which is interesting because at one point in time, Orcas were known strictly as "Killer Whales", and nothing else. This was because of their incredible hunting abilities (which are really impressive, especially when they hunt as a group) and there were "sightings" of Orcas killing humans. But there have been no fatalities in open waters via Orcas.
2. Humpback Whales
While the Orcas may be one of the most known whale species in the world, there's no doubt in many people's minds that the friendliest whale in the oceans today is the Humpback Whale. Which has its own interesting history with humans as they were almost hunted to extinction. For real. At one point in time, 90% of the population had been killed by humans until a ban came around to stop the madness. They're still protected to this day despite their numbers recovering.
1. Dolphins
I mean...was there anything else that honestly could've been put on the top of this list? Think about it. They're dolphins! They're what a lot of people go to see at aquariums, they love to do tricks, show off, and they'll even let people get up close and kiss them (should you be into that...). What's friendlier than that?
Add to all of that, there's their natural ability to protect life, specifically, protect human life. Plus...there was this film named Flipper...
